A vehicle powerplant produces drive torque that is transferred through a transmission to a driveline. The automatic transmission includes a number of clutches that are selectively engaged and disengaged to provide one of several speed ratios between input and output shafts. The input shaft is coupled to the vehicle's powerplant through a torque converter. The input shaft drives the output shaft through a gear set. The output shaft is coupled to the driveline to drive wheels of the vehicle.
Shifting from a current speed ratio to another speed ratio involves disengaging an engaged clutch or off-going clutch and engaging another clutch or on-coming clutch. During a shift, a clutch fault may occur. For example, failure of the off-going clutch to fully disengage can cause clutch tie-up. Failure of the on-coming clutch to engage can cause clutch flare. Clutch tie-up results in the on-coming clutch absorbing greater amounts of shift energy and can eventually lead to component failure.